Post-Deployment Happenings

Hey y'all!

There is always a huge gap between posts here, but hopefully I can get more consistent in the near future. Here's what has been going on with me:

1. My husband is baaaaaack!
Hubby returned safe and sound from his nine-month deployment. We had a joyful reunion at 2:45AM in the middle of a freezing Texas Army field while baby girl was bundled up, fast asleep in her stroller and big brother was wide awake, flailing glow bracelets around with his grandma. This was his first deployment and I still feel like a big-time newbie to Army life, but I have learned A LOT.

2. We got to go on a much-needed family vacation--to Hawaii! We had so much fun, got to stay in a beautiful resort with (and thanks to) my parents, play in the sand, and enjoy getting re-acquainted with one another. Especially baby girl and her daddy. She was only one month old when he left, so he came home to a completely different little girl!

3. My son started school in Texas--and it's intense! He went from going to Pre-K3 in Idaho for two hours a day, two days a week and now attends a full 8-hour day every weekday!

It's been a little tough for me to get back into the routine of things. This military life is seriously tough on me, y'all! And I don't mean to say that it's just me or military families that struggle. I know that EVERYONE has hard times. Everyone has their mountains (or cliffs!) to climb in this life. I know that because I know God--and like any good parent, he wants us to struggle in order to establish our strength and knowledge needed to overcome future obstacles. In that respect, I understand that this lifestyle is necessary for me to grow. But man! It is honestly such a roller-coaster! I start out being devastated that he's left; figuring life out as a new (kind of? Single) mom of two, struggling like crazy to become independent again. There's lots of crying in front of my mom and dad, lots of ice cream, lots of mom taking care of kids for me while I do "me". Then I FINALLY have my crap together. I've finally got this solo parenting thing down when it's time for him to come home again.

It's not that it has been bad since he's been back. It's actually gone really well. Reintegration went smoothly and we got back into our family rhythm almost as if he had never left. It's just that I, with my fragile emotions, have had a hard time with all of the ups and downs. It's hard for me to transition, I guess. It's hard from going from solo parent to dual parents. It's hard for me to ask my husband for help because I'm not used to being able to anymore. It's hard not having my mom around to help give me a kid-free hour. It's hard to go back to running my own household and not holding it to the same standards as my mother's. (My mom is the most hard-working person I know, and her house is always immaculate!) It's hard seeing my son struggle through the changes and watching him hurt, being helpless to stop it. It's hard to catch up on all the unpacking, keep a clean house, and keep a 10-month old baby alive simultaneously!

Through all of this, I have concluded that: life is hard, I am a terrible housewife, and my husband is basically a superhero.C Leave a comment and PLEASE let me know that I am not the only one! What are you doing to overcome your "schtuff" right now?